Information regarding the State of Texas ban on use of TikTok.
Background Information
On December 7, Governor Abbott issued an order to all Texas state agencies banning the use of TikTok on state networks and state-issued devices. This ban was implemented because of the threat of nation state actors gaining access to critical U.S. infrastructure and information.
As a result of this order, TikTok’s services will be blocked on all Tarleton State University devices no later than December 19, 2022. This includes cell phones, laptops, tablets, desktops, and other internet-connected devices.
IT Services will deploy management software on all Tarleton State University devices, if not already in place, by December 19, 2022 to enforce the governor’s ban. This management software will block the installation of the TikTok app, remove it on devices where TikTok is already present, and prevent the device from communicating with the TikTok service.
This immediate ban does not affect personal devices (regardless of whether the employee receives a cell phone allowance). The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Cybersecurity Division and the Texas Department of Information Resources will provide additional guidance related to TikTok on personal devices in January. We believe this guidance may require us to update our response plan. We will communicate any response plan changes.
For those not familiar with the concerns about TikTok, TikTok is an extremely popular video-based social media platform owned by ByteDance Ltd. This company has been known to collect massive amounts of data from its user base and share that data and its associated content algorithms with nation state actors. What was originally a privacy concern is now a cybersecurity and influence operational issue.
The protection and security of our enterprise assets, information, and intellectual property is always a top priority. Your patience and adherence to this order is most appreciated.
How is the TikTok ban implemented at Tarleton?
Tarleton State University IT Services blocked network traffic to TikTok effective December 16, 2022. IT Services will attempt to detect and remove the TikTok application from university owned devices as well as prevent future installations of the TikTok application. University owned devices will be blocked from accessing TikTok when off-campus.
The use of TikTok for official Tarleton State University purposes is prohibited.
Personal devices utilizing the university network (both wired and wireless, includes Tarleton-WiFi, Tarleton-IoT and Tarleton-Visitors) will have no access to TikTok effective December 16, 2022. As of December 2022, TikTok remains accessible to students via the residence hall network provided by Apogee.